How Does the Scoring Work?
The scoring for the SWLS works quite simply, by adding up the total of the numbers you score against each of the statements. So, remembering that 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree, the higher your score, the higher your sense of life satisfaction as a whole.
As a guide, your total score means:
- 31–35 = Extremely satisfied
- 26–30 = Satisfied
- 21–25 = Slightly satisfied
- 20 = Neutral
- 15–19 = Slightly dissatisfied
- 10–14 = Dissatisfied
- 5–9 = Extremely dissatisfied
Pavot and Diener (2013) created a more in-depth description of what your score means for your sense of life satisfaction. Very briefly, we’ve written up what they had to say, but it’s worth accessing the original documents.
- 31–35 Extremely satisfied
If you score this high on the SWLS, it means you have a strong love of your life and feel that things are going really well for you. This does not mean to say that you feel your life is perfect, but you are content with how things are and/or feel any challenges are temporary and can be managed.
A high score does not indicate that you are complacent about your sense of satisfaction, and it is likely you understand that challenge is a pathway to growth and greater satisfaction.
If you score in this range, you likely feel that most things in your life are going really well, but there may be one or two key areas you wish to change. You understand that your life is not perfect and respect that any challenges are also an area for further growth and exploration.
If you score in this margin, you’re in good company. The researchers assert that this is where the majority of people score themselves. This score means you are generally satisfied, on an average day-to-day basis; however, there are areas you’d really like to improve.
Rather than there being one or two things that you feel would give you greater satisfaction, you might feel that small improvements across all domains of your life would lead to a higher sense of life satisfaction.
A score of 20 – bang in the middle of the scale – means you’re likely pretty neutral about your sense of satisfaction about your life. You might not give too much thought to what does or doesn’t need improving, and you’re quite content where you are.
- 15–19 Slightly dissatisfied
A score in this range might mean that you tend to feel dissatisfied more than satisfied on a day-to-day basis, and there are several significant areas for improvement. It might also indicate that you’re generally content, but there is one area of life where you feel deeply unsatisfied, which is creating a lower score.
A score in this margin requires further thought and reflection on where improvements need to be made to increase your sense of satisfaction.
A dissatisfied score tends to mean you’re feeling substantially dissatisfied about your current circumstances. This might be deep dissatisfaction across all areas of life or that two or three areas are far worse than the others.
It’s worth reflecting to see if your dissatisfaction is due to a recent event or situation, which may be temporary, or if this is a chronic experience because you are not living the life you truly want.
- 5–9 Extremely dissatisfied
As you may have guessed, a score at the very low end of the scale means that you are extremely dissatisfied with your current life circumstances. Again, if this score is due to a recent hard blow in life, such as bereavement, then things may get better over time with the right support.
However, a score this low tends to be an indication of dissatisfaction across multiple areas of life and is a good starting point to begin reflecting on why that might be.
A Look at the Reliability and Validity of the Test
The SWLS is one of the most widely used measurements for life satisfaction. The shortness and ease of being able to administer the scale to achieve foundation results is key to this, but how reliable does that actually make it?
In developing the scale, Diener et al. (1985) tested it widely and reported that it does have good psychometric properties, as well as a high test–retest coefficient (meaning participants who completed the scale more than once demonstrated the same results consistently).
Further research has confirmed this reliability against other measures of life satisfaction (Pavot et al., 1991, Pavot & Diener, 2008) as well as other measures for happiness (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999). It has also correlated well with scales measuring the meaning of life (Steger et al., 2006) and scales measuring hope (Bailey & Synder, 2007).
Several other studies have also sought to use the scale across different cultural groups to test its validity, with positive results. Galankis et al. (2017) used the scale across a sample of 1,797 Greek natives and found their results in line with the original researcher’s studies, as well as other studies exploring cross-cultural uses for the SWLS.
The only part of the scale that has been questioned in the research is the use of the fifth statement, as researchers believe it has a weaker association with life satisfaction and instead causes participants to reflect on the desire to change rather than their current sense of life satisfaction (Pavot & Diener, 1993).
What our readers think
How to cite this page for my paper work in APA style?
Hi Yahya,
You can reference this article in APA 7th as follows: Mead, E. (2019, April 12). 4 Scales to Measure Satisfaction with Life (SWLS). PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/life-satisfaction-scales/
Hope this helps!
Warm regards,
Julia | Community Manager
hi, can i use your scale for my research work
Hi Isha,
Which scale are you interested in using? Let me know, so I can assist you further!
Warm regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Dear Sir, I hope you are in good health and spirits.Sir,I am a student of BS Psychology from APWA college, Lahore.I am going to conduct research on Life satisfaction which is the part of partial fulfillment of my degree. I want to use Life satisfaction Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of life satisfaction in order to conduct research. Hence,I want to use your questionnaire. I have found you very generous in letting researchers and students use your tool. Kindly give me permission to use the questionnaire as soon as possible due to the requirements of my research work. It’s a humble request to you.
Thank you.
Hi Faiqa,
This scale is freely available to use and a copy of it with scoring information can be accessed here.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Mam I am doing a counseling course. Could you please suggest a scale to measure life satisfaction in retired college teachers?
Hi Matthew,
I would use the SWLS unless there’s a particularly compelling reason not to (e.g., if there’s some specific characteristic of a retired college student sample you want to assess).
– Nicole | Community Manager
Hi.. Hope you are doing good.. I am doing research for my BS program.. I need your help to suggest me good scale for life satisfaction in high achievers.. As my topic for research is Role of parenting style and coping skills on life satisfaction in high achievers.. Can you please suggest me an authentic cite for the scale please?
Thank you!
Hi Rimsha,
By “high-achievers,” I assume you mean your sample will be school-aged students? If so, I suspect the SLSS or MSLSS would be suitable.
– Nicole | Community Manager
Good day, Ma’am.
I would like to ask if you can recommend us a Life Satisfaction Scale specific for College Students that belong to Low-Income families. Hoping to receive a response from you. Thank you.
Hi Adrian,
It sounds like the Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS), discussed in the post, is likely to be suitable for your research 🙂
Hope this helps!
– Nicole | Community Manager
How to interpret means of mslss?
Hi Ma. Antionette,
This stands for The Multidimensional Students Life Satisfaction Scale 🙂
– Nicole | Community Manager
Please madam provide me life satisfaction scale of 10 items
Hi Muhammad,
Sorry, it appears most scales are either five items or more than ten.
If there’s some flexibility around the number of items (and you let me know the scale’s specific purpose), I might be able to recommend something!
– Nicole | Community Manager
I am looking for a homelife (family interaction) satisfaction scale. Do you know a scale that may help with this?
Hi Dean,
Check out the appendix of Zabriskie & McCormick (2003) for the quick, five-item Satisfaction with Family Life Scale (SWFL).
Hope this helps, but let me know if you’re looking for something slightly different.
– Nicole | Community Manager